Bottle capping machine



u 9, 1953 w. A. BARRETT 2,

BOTTLE CAPPING MACHINE I; Sheets-Sheet 1' Filed March a, 1949 WALTER A.BARRETT INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY lllllllllllll June 9, 1953 BARRETT 2,641,398

BOTTLE CAPPING MACHINE Filed March 8, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I I9 27 F\ 3j 2 Fig as I I lf n l ill I l 2 l T 58 l 6 ".55 Iv 5 9 PF 57 l 53 5b 49i I I, 5 I 49 I I l I 3 5 WA LTE R H. Bmaefi' IN V EN TOR.

BYWA%% HTTORNEY June 9, 1953 w. A. BARRETT 2,641,398

BOTTLE CAPPING MACHINE Filed March 8-, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet s I I9 Fl 4a7 3| I as F a I I 11 al 58 H I we L I I I -i 65., l l ,9:

WALTER A-BmzrecTT INVENTOR.

BY W

HTTORNEY Patented June 9, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BOTTLE CAPBING MACHINE Walter A. Barrett, Fort Wayne, Ind.

Application March 8, 1949, Serial No. 80,146

4 Claims. 22692) This invention relates to a bottle capping machine.More specifically it relates to a machine for applying a coverall typeof cap to a milk bottle.

It is an object of the invention to provide means conditioned by thebottle capping operation to actuate a mechanism for positioning a newcap for the subsequent capping operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for retarding theoperation of the cap positioning mechanism to permit removal of thecapped bottle prior to positioning of the next cap.

It is another object of the invention to provide a capper which issmooth and relatively silent in operation.

' A further object of the invention is to provide a capper which ispositive in operation.

, These and other objects will become apparent from a study of thisspecification and the drawings which are attached hereto and made a parthereof and in which:

. Figure 1 is an elevation, partly in section, of the capper supportingmeans.

Figure 2 is a sectional View of the capper with the bottle starting torise to capping position.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 except that the bottle is in thefull capping position.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figures 2 and 3 but showing the bottledescending and cap positioning slide returning toward the Figure 2 position.

Figure 5 is a top View of the capping machine.

Figure 6 is an elevation in section of the dashpot piston.

Referring to Figure l, the numeral l refers to the table which rotateswith shaft 3 on suitable bearings (not shown). A sleeve 5 is fixed tothe table, extends upwardly therefrom and. is internally threaded toreceive a height adjusting screw 7.

The capper support 9 is fixed to the upper end of the screw and carriesa locking sleeve I l which telescopes over sleeve 5 to which it isattached by a locating screw I3 which enters a slot l5 in sleeve 5 and aclamping screw IT.

The support 9 has diametrically opposed pairs of arms l92|, 2325 whichare perforated to receive slidable capper shafts 21. Since both cappers.are constructed alike only one will be described and the same numeralswill indicate similar parts of each.

. The portion of shaft 2'! between arms i92i is encircled by acompression spring 29. A collar 31 is fixed to the shaft between thebottom 'of 2 the spring 29 and arm 2| by means of pin 33.

A piston or plunger 35 is formed on the lower end of the shaft and, asshown particularly in Figure 6 it is provided with a bleeder port 31which passes axially through it.

A second bore 39 is formed axially through the piston and iscounterbored at 4|. A ball valve 43 is seated in the counterbore andurged by a spring 45 to close the bore. A ring 41 is pressed in thecounterbore to hold the spring in place.

The cylinder body 49 is provided with a cylinder bore 5| to receive thepiston and with an elongated sleeve 53 which is slidably mounted on theshaft 21. An annular ring 54 riding in an annular groove 56 in sleeve 53prevents leakage between the shaft and sleeve. A compression spring 58encircles shaft 21 between the lower side of arm 2| and the end ofsleeve 53. The sleeve is provided with elongated slots which provideclearance for a pin 51 which projects through the shaft 21.

A head 59 is fixed to the cylinder body to close the cylinder and has acap magazine tube fil' fixed to it.

A circular cap pressing groove 63 is formed in the head opposite thepiston.

The magazine tube BI is provided with a bore 65 of a size to receive thecaps 6'! and a counterbore 69 which is adapted to receive a cappackaging tube H.

A guide is mounted on the head 59 and comprises a guide plate and a boss15 provided with a bore 11 which is aligned with groove 63. The upperand lower sides of the bore are countersunk. The guide plate 19 extendsfrom the bore laterally under and beyond the magazine.

The cap positioning slide 8! is mounted for reciprocation on the guideplate between a position as shown in Figure 3 where it is retracted toreceive a cap from the magazine and the position of Figure 2 in which ithas positioned the cap in place over bore l! where the cap will be heldby fingers 83.

Said fingers are pivotally mounted at on the body 49 and haveprojections 8'! which enter holes 89 in the guide 13. A spring 9| urgesthe fingers toward cap supporting position.

As shown in Figure 1, the projections are inclined upwardly so as to becammed away from the cap by the bead of the bottle.

The slide is provided with a stub shaft 93 on each side. A link 95 isrotatably mounted at one end on each shaft and at the other end on abell crank 91 which is pivoted on shaft 99 supported in a boss H)! onthe magazine. The other arm Operation As shown in Figure 5, thebottles.- enter the.

capping machine in the direction of the arrow A and mount the platformsI which are in axial alignment with guide bores TE- and cap grooves 63.The platforms revolve about'the axis of shaft 1 at the same velocity asthe cappers and, assuming that a cap 6? is held positioned over-thebottle as shown in Figure 2, as the roller H-I- rides. up on the camH39, the bead ofthe bottle will enter the guide bore Ti, spreadv fingers81, pick up the cap and. press it into the groove 53 on the head 59 andover the beadof the bottle to attach it thereto.

As the roller continues to ride up the cam,

the entire capper mechanism slides-upwardly on.

the shaft 2-? and piston 35 which are held fixed.

As the cylinder 5] is displaced relative to the piston, the liquid whichfills the cylinder below the piston is pressurized and opens valve 43 sothat. it canpass through the piston into the expanding chamber onthe.other side thereof. valve. port is large enough to permit a rapidpassage of the liquid in this direction.

The spring. 58 is compressed, reaching its maximum when the high pointof the cam is reached by the roller as shown in Figure 3.

It will be seen that during the movement of the parts from the Figure 2to the Figure 3 position, the pivot pin 99 of the bell crank 91 has beenraised relative to the fixed pin 51. This rotates the crank clockwiseand thrusts the links 5- and slide 8! to. the left beyond the caps inthe magazine so that anew cap may drop down on the guide 19.

As the roller HI rides down the cam H19; the capped bottle will moveaway from the head 59 which moves downwardly under the action of;

spring 58 but is restrained by the liquid which is pressurized in theupper chamber and which can escape to the expanding lower chamber onlythrough the restricted port 31.

Thus the return of the slide with the new cap from the Figure 3 to theFigure 2 position is retarded until the capped bottle has fallen belowthe level of the position to be occupied by the. new cap.

At the completion of the stroke, that-is when the parts again occupy theFigure 2 position, it will be seen that the new cap will be. in-positiononthe fingers 81 in alignment. with the guide bore '5? and groove 63ready for the next bottle.

The capped bottle leaves the capping machine along the line of the arrowB.

The rate of return of the cylinder under the action of the spring 58depends upon the viscosity of the oil used in the cylinder and the sizeof.

the port 3! and may therefor be regulated to suit the requirements. ofthe machine. the action may be accelerated by opening the port if themachine speed requires it, The ime portant point is that the slide mustnotbe re- That.- is,

4 turned so rapidly that the new cap will be forced against that on thenewly capped bottle, otherwise the new cap may be distorted so that itwill not receive the next bottle or the bottle just capped may have thecap partly removed or both. It is obvious that various changes may bemade in the form, structure and arrangement of parts without departingfrom the spirit of the invention. Accordingly, applicant does not desireto' be l'imi tedrto the specific embodiment disclosed herein primarilyforpurposes of illustration; but instead, he desires protection fallingfairly within the scope of the appended claims.

What-t consider to be new and desire to protect by Letters Patent of theUnited States of America i's'z.

1. A bott1e capper comprising a fixed shaft, a sleeve slidable up anddown thereon to and from a bottomposition, resilient means for urgingthe sleeve to the down position, cap presser means on: the sleeve, acap: magazine: mounted onthe sleeve, means mounted onlthe'sleeve forabstract in; a cap. from theimaga'zine and positioning it in alignmentwith the presser means, means for reciprocating a bottle towardfiandaway from the presser means to actuate the'sl'eeve and install the cap"onthe bottlei'and 'means connecting said shaft. sleeve, the positioningmeans for actuating the latter to cap abstracting position whenthesleeve is up and to cap-aligning position when the sleeve is down anddashpot means for redu'cingthe. rate of restoration-of thesleeve" belowthat of the withdrawal of the bottle to pre"-' vent interference between-thebottle" and the cap being positioned.

2. A bottle capper comprising a fixed shaft, 2. piston-on the shaft, asleeveslidably mounted" on the shaft and having a fluid filledcylinderfor the piston, a spring disposed to urge said sleeve and cylinderdownwardly with respect to the shaft and piston, a restrictedport in thepiston,

a valve controlled larger portin' the piston, means forming' a passagefor the-iiuid from'th'e" lower side of the piston through the-largerport, means for preventing the return of liquid through the the shaftand piston, a restricted port in the" piston, a valve controlledl'argerport in the piston",

meansf'orming' a passagefor the liquid from the lower side of the pistonthrough the larger port, means for preventingthe return of liquidthrough the passage, cap presser means, a cap magazine andcap' shiftingmeans all mountedon the sleeve and means connecting said shaft sleeveand shifting means for operating the latter to move a cap from themagazine and position it in'alignmentwith the presser means 'on the downstroke of the sleeve and to position the shifting means to-receiveanother cap from the magazine on the upstroke: of the sleeve.

4. A bottle capper comprisingafixed sliaft", a piston onthezshaftg-asleeve slidably 'mcunted on-xthe shafti an'dvhavingzaz fluid filledcylinder:

for the piston, means-for" passing iluid slowly' from one side of thepiston to the other, a spring disposed to urge the sleeve downwardly,cap presser means for the sleeve, a cap magazine and cap shifting meansmounted on the sleeve, said shifting means comprising a guide, a slidemounted for movement on the guide from a position below and at one sideof the magazine to a position below and at one side of the presser meanswhereby to abstract a cap from the magazine and position it in alignmentwith the presser means, a lever pivotally mounted on the sleeve, a pinon the shaft engaging one end of the lever, and link means connectingthe other end of the lever with the slide, and means for reciprocating abottle toward and away from the presser means to lift the sleeve andinstall the cap on the bottle.

WALTER A. BARRETT.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date Maw Aug. 11, 1925 Pinkerton Aug. 25, 1925 Rieck Jan. 15, 1929Kl'oss Mar. 25, 1930 Swift, Jr. Nov. 11, 1930 Fagan et al Feb. 26, 1935Petersen Aug. 11, 1936 Daniels Jan. 19, 1937 Taylor Apr. 20, 1937 RiemerOct. 26, 1937 Baum Feb. 13, 1940 Stewart et a1. Feb. 23, 1943 Stewart eta1. Sept. 4, 1945 Naccarato et a1. Feb. 21, 1950

